April 2013

April 30, 2013

The word "the" is the most common in the English language. Hot on its heels in terms of amount of usage is the word "and."

"And" is also a very important word when it comes to high achievement.

We have all heard about the importance of focus. Most of us suffer from distraction diseases of all sorts, including "Interruptidess," "smart-phone-check-obsession," "multi-task-mania," and "involvement-overload." Our natural tendencies are toward diversion and distraction, not focus. Even so, in the accomplishment of all high achievement, there is a degree of breadth required. There is such a thing as too much focus.

We have all heard that it is critical to "major on majors," that if we "fit the big rocks in the jar we can always get the little ones in later," and similar sayings. And these are all true. However, in our rush to simplify and focus, we must not forget that life is not that simple, and nobody accomplishes worthwhile goals without the ability to handle several things at once. The key is to know which majors to major upon, and which minors not to disregard.

You see, for every major task toward an objective, there is always a supporting cast of minor details. We may ignore most details as trivial, but some are not. I am reminded of coach John Wooden teaching his incoming freshman basketball players to turn their socks inside out and remove the balls of cotton that could otherwise cause blisters. Mastery and accomplishment are to some extent the product of understanding what details are important and which can be disregarded. We must learn what minor things play a supporting role for the major things. Once we know this, only then can we ignore details and smaller things, knowing that they really play no role in achieving our overall goal.

As leaders and high achievers we must master the "art of the both." Get good at determining which tasks are primary to accomplishing your goal, but then also discern which smaller ones play an important supporting role. In fact, it is by making these distinctions that you can then focus most effectively.

April 12, 2013

If you are new to the pursuit of excellence, or are just launching upon your dream chase, or are just now responding to a calling on your life, you may need to be warned about something (or someone):

Bozos.

Really, I've got nothing against Bozo the Clown. He wore his baldness with poise and managed to keep a smile upon his face despite the wardrobe he was forced to wear. Pretty admirable, any way you slice it. His name does serve as a categorization, however, for a certain type of person.

It doesn't matter how noble your calling, how amazing your talent, or how sincere your attempt, there will ALWAYS be a Bozo somewhere to criticize what you're doing. Usually, there will be several.

Bozos, you see, appreciate and grow stronger with each other's company, taking courage from their collective cowardice. Their purpose, as a lower species, is to denigrate others. They will question and criticize your ability, your talent, your motives, your heart, your character, your results, and just about anything else they can think of that you have or are attempting.

Get used to it. Realize that it's just part of the landscape of high achievement. No one, and I repeat, no one is immune from Bozo Infestation.

Exhibit A: In this video (be sure to watch it all the way through), a little eight-year-old girl sings a difficult song so well it should bring tears to the eyes of anyone even approaching the classification of a human being. And thousands of people quite appropriately clicked "like." But notice that, inexplicably, more than 2,000 people clicked "dislike." I can't imagine being in the presence of such nincompoops for even two seconds. Bozos are not above the criticism of anything, even an adorable, unbelievably gifted little girl. Just remember this the next time someone trashes you. If they can criticize little Connie Talbot, they won't have any trouble hurling their stones in your direction.

Like a swarm of mosquitos, Bozos will swoop in to darken your brightest shinings. Don't let them. As with mosquitos, you can swat them, ignore them, and curse them. But by far the most effective approach in dealing with Bozos is to apply an effective repellent. In the case of living your life and giving your all, this repellent consists of the following:

1. An awareness of their existence and a refusal to be shocked by such.

2. A refusal to listen to their vitriol, realizing that every great achievement is accomplished under a hail of criticism.

3. Pity for their pathetic little lives they are choosing to waste.

4. A steady focus upon your dream, your calling, and what God built you to be.

April 05, 2013

Orrin Woodward and Oliver DeMille Launch a Leadershift

My good friends Orrin Woodward and Oliver DeMille are set to release their groundbreaking book Leadershift in just a couple of weeks. If you are concerned about the erosion of freedom in the western world and are sick of partisian politics as a supposed answer to that decline, Leadershift will fill you with delight. Written as a readable story, the plot follows the gathering of leaders to discuss the enormous problems facing all free societies in our world today. What emerges from this gathering is a surprisingly simple, yet monumentally profound way to understand what has happened to freedom and what is necessary to restore and preserve it.

Woodward and DeMille Make It Fun

Let's face it; boring books stink. And nobody wants to read another screed from the people on the "blue state" side blaming those on the "red state" side, or vice versa. While playing the blame game might feed the flames of our righteous indignation, it doesn't produce any worthwhile outcomes. Meantime, our civilization continues to decline. What Leadershift does in an entertaining way is illuminate real solutions based on accurate analysis of the problems themselves.

But I won't spoil all the fun for you. Do yourself a favor and read this little book yourself. You won't be disappointed!